Eylea (aflibercept) is a medication used to treat various eye conditions that can lead to vision impairment. It is an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment, meaning it works by blocking a protein called VEGF, which is involved in the growth of abnormal blood vessels and fluid leakage in the eye. The Eylea prefilled syringe offers a refined method for administering this medication directly into the eye, streamlining a previously multi-step process for healthcare professionals. This design enhances the experience for both patients and medical staff during intravitreal injections.
Conditions Treated by Eylea
Eylea is approved to treat several retinal conditions that involve abnormal blood vessel growth or fluid leakage. These include:
- Wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), where abnormal blood vessels grow under the macula, the part of the retina responsible for sharp, central vision, leading to vision loss. Eylea helps to reduce the fluid leaking into the macula and the formation of these new blood vessels.
- Macular Edema following Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO), which occurs when a retinal vein becomes blocked, causing fluid to leak into the macula and impairing vision.
- Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), a complication of diabetes, involves fluid accumulation in the macula due to leaky blood vessels, leading to blurry central vision.
- Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), a condition where high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels in the retina, potentially leading to abnormal vessel growth and vision loss.
Advantages of the Prefilled Syringe Design
The prefilled syringe design for Eylea offers several advantages that enhance the administration process:
- It significantly reduces preparation time for healthcare professionals by eliminating the need to draw medication from a glass vial. This streamlining improves clinical efficiency and saves time for both patients and doctors.
- By removing the need to transfer Eylea from a vial, the potential for inadvertent contamination is decreased, which may reduce the risk of blinding endophthalmitis, a serious eye infection.
- It ensures precise dosing, as the exact 2 mg dose of aflibercept is already contained within, requiring only the expulsion of excess volume and air bubbles.
- The single-dose, sterilized nature contributes to patient safety by ensuring sterility for each injection.
- It has environmental benefits, using less packaging material, plastic, and metal compared to the traditional vial-and-syringe method.
The prefilled syringe’s convenience and reduced complexity make administration smoother for medical professionals.
Handling and Storage Guidelines
Proper handling and storage of the Eylea prefilled syringe are important to maintain its efficacy and ensure patient safety:
- The syringe should be stored in a refrigerator at a temperature range of 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F).
- Do not freeze the syringe, as this can compromise the medication’s integrity.
- The prefilled syringe should remain in its original carton and blister pack until the time of use to protect it from light.
- While generally refrigerated, an unopened blister containing the prefilled syringe can be kept at room temperature, below 25°C, for up to 24 hours prior to use.
- Once the blister is opened, the syringe must be handled under aseptic conditions to maintain sterility.
- The Eylea prefilled syringe is for single use only and should not be reused.
- After the injection, any unused portion of the medication or the syringe itself must be discarded in accordance with local requirements.